You can't go now
by Kitty Johns
Summary: Glorfindel is gravely wounded in a battel, but little dose he know the greatest battel is yet to come. The battel for his life. Can Elrond save him? Blood and plenty of pain. NO SLASH!
1. Pain

You can't go now

Glorfindel lay on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. He was gasping for air, for only very little came into his lungs, it seemed. His sword was still held loosely in his hand, though he truly had no use for it now.

He didn't think he could hold on much longer, but he was, in hopes that someone, other than another orc, would find him. His vision was becoming more and more dull by the second; his hearing was becoming more and more terrible as well.

He hoped that the twins were alright.

He closed his eyes, finding it to hard to do anything other than breathe at the time.

"Glorfindel? Where are you?!" he heard fuzzily.

"Glorfindel? Can you hear us?!"

He longed to answer, but no sound came, and his lungs strongly protested speaking.

"Glorfindel!"

The voice sounded closer, now.

"Ro! I found him! Come quick!"

So they were alright.

Glorfindel felt a hand gently slide beneath his head. He wanted to look at the twins, as he was sure that both were by his side, but he couldn't open his eyes.

"Glorfindel? Can you please answer us?" one said, his voice choked with tears.

Glorfindel tried all he could, but no sound would pass his lips.

He felt gentle though strong arms slip under him and lift him from the ground, but his pain came rushing back to him.

His wounds brought him memories of his fight with the balrog.

He was trying to say something and hold back his pain, but he just couldn't help but let a whimper go through his lips.

The arms around him tightened their grip slightly.

"Don't worry, Glorfindel. We will get you back home. And you will be alright. I promise."

Ok, dudes. Will this make a good story? I hope so. I really really do. Honestly.


	2. Ada!

Elladan carefully laid Glorfindel down in their camp. He didn't look to well and the color was fading fast from his cheeks.

His golden hair was dripping with blood; orc and elf.

His blue eyes were closed in his sleep, which was unnatural for an elf.

The few others who had made it out alive from the battle were being carefully tended by the twins' patrol.

Yes, they had been successful in winning the fight, but the greater fight was yet to come.

All were gravely wounded, some more so than others.

Sadly, Glorfindel was worst off.

There was a horrible gash in his side and a deep one in his chest, which broke at least four ribs. He was still bleeding, that was surprising, for he had lost so much blood that there shouldn't be any more left to give.

As Elladan and Elrohir carefully tended the wounds of their father's advisor, they couldn't help but feel slightly awkward tending to the one who had always tended to them if they had been injured in battle.

When they finished, Elrohir placed a hand on Glorfindel's forehead.

"It's so cold," he whispered to his brother who was gently draping a blanket over him.

"I know," he replied, taking his brother's hand. "He will be alright. He has to be."

"But he won't if we can't get him to Ada, Dan. The only way we can get him there fast enough is if we ride, but it might kill him."

Elladan thought about this.

"Than we send someone to get Ada here!" he concluded.

"Good idea, but who would go? None of us can leave, for we all need to be here to tend the others."

The twins sat in thought, and suddenly faint singing was brought to their ears. It wasn't from too far away, but it was only being sung quietly. Hoof beats were soon accompanying the voice, and just on the road, a maiden riding a silver horse, leaning over and caressing her mount's neck, the strands of her silver hair and it's mane mingling into one.

She opened her eyes and called her horse to a halt, looking at the camp on the side of the overgrown path. She looked at the wounded and urged her horse towards the sons of Elrond, her horse going along the edge of the clearing.

"You have wounded, I can plainly see," she began, "can I be of any help?"

"I doubt it," Elrohir said. "Lord Elrond might be the only one who could help those here, for their wounds are deep and horrible."

"I have..." she paused as if searching for a word, "...experience."

"What kind of experience do you have?"

"I have tended many, and now quite much about being a healer when necessary."

The twins looked at each other, having a private conversation with each other. "Alright, you may be of some help, but not in healing, if it is alright with you. We need Lord Elrond of Rivendel. He will be able to help," Elladan explained.

The woman raised an eyebrow at this, but they went back to normal just as quick. "Alright, I will go. But he may come sooner than you think."

"Thank you," Elladan said as the heavy silver mare carefully went to the road and sped quickly away.

The maiden sped quickly, knowing that her mount would make it all the way to Rivendel and arrive at midmorning, tops.

"All according to plan," she whispered, urging her mount faster.

Elrond was somewhat tense, but he didn't know why he possibly could be. The twins got into trouble so often that nothing was unusual about having them come back with a broken leg or a chest wound.

But, surprisingly, it wasn't the twins that had him worried.

He just pushed those thoughts out of his head and went back to reading.

Then he heard a nock on the door.

"Come in," he said.

Erestor quickly opened the door.

"Lord Elrond, a maiden brings a message to you from your sons," he said. Elrond noticed a hint of fear in his level voice.

Elrond nodded and Erestor led a slightly frightened looking maiden into the room. her silver hair was frizzy and unkempt, certainly from a long and hard ride.

"What news do you bring from them?" Elrond asked.

"They told me to ask the Lord Elrond of Imladris to come to their aid, for many of their and another company are sorely wounded," she said, keeping what posture that she had infront of the legendary Lord Elrond.

"Are they hurt themselves?" Elrond asked.

"No, as a healer myself, they looked fine."

"I will go then, but we will need you for a guide. Erestor, have a horse readied."

Erestor nodded and left the room, leaving the other two elves to discuss what had happened.

Elrond followed the maid, who had now been re-horsed on a beautiful white steed.

"It is just a little farther ahead, maybe half a mile," she said thoughtfully. "We will reach them soon."

They rode in silence for maybe two more minutes and then she sort of continued. "There they are."

She and Elrond simultaneously urged their mounts faster and reached a clearing full of wounded, with those no wounded carefully tending the others. Elrond's eyes quickly found Elrohir.

"Ada!" one twin yelled. "Come here! Quick!"

Elrond followed the voice and found his son sitting next to another. Elladan was exhausted, sitting next to another.

This other elf, Elrond didn't recognize at first because he had never seen him like so.

His long golden tresses were drenched in dried blood and he was as white as a sheet, lips tinged a slight blue.

"Glorfindle!" Elrond whispered as he dismounted and sat by his side.

The ancient elf made no sound, but his closed eyes opened a crack and tried to focus on his friend. A shadow of a smile came across his face.

"Ada, you got here just in time, but he still is very bad off."

"I have that silver headed maiden to thank for me getting here so quickly," Elrond explained. He and his son looked up to the place that the maid was left.

But what they saw surprised them.

She wasn't there anymore.

She had left without a sound.

"Where did she go?" Elladan whispered to himself.

"I don't know." Elrond answered. "But there was something familiar about her I believe."

Well, another chappie to all of you who liked it, and for all of you who didn't.


	3. Hope of healing

**Hope of healing **

Elrond carefully tended Glorfindel, seeing to all his wounds and to any broken bones.

But the maiden kept coming to his mind.

It reminded him of a close friend of Maglor's, if only in the way that she dressed.

Still...

Elrond was brought out of his thought by a weak moan from Glorfindel.

"Do not worry, mellon nin. You will be all right," he whispered, but whether it was to Glorfindel or to himself, he couldn't figure.

This didn't soothe him any as Elrond moved over to his side wound and gasped.

It was rimmed in greenish black.

Poison.

"Oh, no..." Elrond whispered.

"Elladan, how long has his side been untreated, or have you cleaned it already?" Elrond asked shakily.

"It was the first wound that we did clean, Ada. What is wrong?"

"It was poisoned, and by the looks it was poisoned seriously."

Elladan gave his father a confused look and joined him in looking at the wound.

What he saw startled him.

"I swear by Eru that it wasn't like that before, Ada. We cleaned it thoroughly."

"It is all right. I am blaming you two of nothing. I need to get him as stable as possible and take him back to Rivendell, tomorrow afternoon at the latest. There is nothing more that I can do for him that I have not already done, now, though."

Elladan nodded. _Glorfindel has always been the one there for us when something happened _Elladan thought. _Now we have to be there for him_.

"Watch him, Elladan. If anything happens or he wakes up, come get me," Elrond said, laying a gentle hand on his son's drooping shoulder. "Don't worry, ion nin. He will be all right."

"Aye, Adar."

_At least I hope so_ Elrond thought as he went to tend to whomever else that might need his help.

The next morning, Elrond deemed Glorfindel stable enough for the ride to Rivendell.

Only barely, though.

Elrond was sending other healers to this place in order to heal the rest so that they could travel back.

But Glorfindel need to get back _now_.

_**Right now**. _

The twins carefully steadied the golden haired elf lord on the white horse as their father gracefully mounted behind him.

Elrond gave his sons each a small smile before he urged his horse forward slowly.

Glorfindel was halfway conscious at this point in time, and whimpered slightly.

"Lean on me, mellon nin," Elrond whispered, gently leaning his dear friend up against his chest to try and ease some pressure on his friend's chest.

Glorfindel had no strength to argue. He silently complied as his friend supported him for the ride back to Rivendell, and he slipped into unconsciousness again.

Elrond knew that he had to hurry. As soon that he was sure that Glorfindel was in a pain and exhaustion induced sleep, he urged his horse into a steady gallop.

They would reach Rivendell in four hours, at most.

"Noro lim, Dimfenion. Noro lim," Elrond whispered to his steed, which sensed his master's distress, and went all the more fast.

Erestor heard a nock on the door. "Come in," he said.

A healer opened the door.

Erestor put down the parchment that he was reading.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The Lord Elrond has returned. He wishes to see you in the healing wards," the healer said, a little too fast for Erestor's liking.

Erestor nodded and stood up, truly not wanting to know what had happened.

Yes, the twin terrors were in the healing wards so often that it was almost normal, but something didn't feel right this time.

Somehow, he knew it wasn't the twins in trouble.

As he walked down the halls to the room that the healer had directed him to, he slowly opened the door and looked at the sight inside.

He nearly ran to the bed. Elrond was expertly cleaning Glorfindel's torn side.

Elrond glanced quickly up at his other advisor and went back to his work.

Erestor didn't even bother asking before Elrond answered the question written on Erestor's face.

"Not too well, I'm afraid. I got to him just in time, but he still isn't out of the woods yet."

"He is so pale," Erestor whispered.

"He has lost a lot of blood, but that is the least of my worries.

Erestor frowned as he carefully sat on the edge of the bed, taking Glorfindel's clammy and cold hand, not really expecting a response.

But he did end up getting one.

Glorfindel sluggishly opened his now dull eyes and tried to focus on either of his friends. A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"Hannon le," Glorfindel whispered.

"Hush, mellon nin," Elrond answered as Glorfindel closed his eyes as pain wracked his body.

The door opened to let Celebrían in, who carried extra bandages for the golden haired elf.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"I feel as if Grond itself had been flung at my chest," he replied. Celebrían smiled.

"Well, you truly need rest, Glorfindel," Elrond whispered.

Glorfindel nodded weakly and his eyes slipped closed, indicating he was now asleep.

_Oh Eru, protect him_ Erestor thought.

Elrond woke up. He was stiff from sitting there so long. Looking to chair, he saw that Erestor and Celebrían still were asleep.

He smiled.

They all truly were fond of Glorfindel.

But he had been asleep for almost a week strait, and his sons would be arriving any time now. Elrond was getting even more worried.

No one was sure if he would ever get well.

_If only Nanna were here... _

_She might be able to do something, but how should I know? Even though she has such strength, she might not be able to do anything, but she might just give him the strength to go on..._

No. he couldn't think about her. She had been gone for far too long. She was probably back in Valinor or dead for that mater. Honestly, the last time he had seen her was one of his last memories of being with Maglor.

FLASHBACK 

Elrond and Elros stood, watching Maglor, who was, as usual, was giving Nanna a bear hug before she left. But he was holding on tighter and longer than usual. Nanna pulled gently away and cupped his chin in her hands. She smiled sympathetically at the tears in his eyes. "You will see me again. I promise."

"But Nanna, you told us all that we would never see us again!" he replied.

"Not in this life, but I promise you we will."

She pulled Maedhros close, and he repeated what his brother did. "I will be waiting for you when you come back," she whispered in his ear. She smiled, pulling back and ruffled his bright red hair. Maedhros, Maglor, Elrond, and Elros were basically her "sons". If it would have been possible, she would have given her life for any of them at any time.

She turned her face towards the twins, her black hair floating in the wind, shimmering in the starlight. She gave the two of them her usual goodbye hug but she turned again to Elrond, her face becoming solemn. "We will meet again, El. When the black elven horse rides to Imladris."

"What do you mean, Nanna? What is Imladris? And how do you know?"

"You will know when you here the news. When you ask for proof, remember the bracelet that you gave me. And how I know is Galadriel told me."

"That's obvious," Maedhros mumbled.

She sent a smile in his direction and mounted her black horse and he ran, disappearing in the night in a billow of black cloak.

END FLASHBACK 

But still...

He had to wonder...

He looked back at his friend. Glorfindel's face was still nearly white. His side still was barely beginning to heal. The poison had been allowed to stay in him for to long.

Why had this happened? Glorfindle had killed a Balrog for Eru's sake! He had already died once! He couldn't die now. He wouldn't die now. Glorfindel would get well. He knew it. He had to.

Elrond sat back down at his friend's side, gently stroking the golden hair. He looked over to his left, where Celebrían was sitting, and noticed that she was stirring.

She yawned and her eyes came into focus, resting on Elrond.

"How is he?" she whispered, getting up and kissing her husband.

Elrond sighed and shook his head. "I still need to check his wounds, but even though I haven't I can tell he isn't doing well at all.

Celebrían frowned and sat next to Elrond, putting a hand on his cheek. "Worry not," she whispered. "He will get better."

"How do we know?" Elrond said as he rose and walked to the door.

Walking out into the hallway, silently closing the door behind him, he finished his train of thought, if only in a whisper. "How do we know if he even wants to?"

Ya know, I feel like being evil in the next chapter. That is the only hint that I will give you for that, but as for this chapter, I am nice!!! Celebrían is still here! She hasn't sailed!!! Wahooooo!!!

R&R!!!

A/N: about the appearance of the word Nanna: it means Guardian in my friends' and my minni language. You will get a few doses of it in the next chappie, 2. and hey, I told u I felt like being evil! Guess what happens in the next chappie? On second thought, don't! Don't worry though, the tides will turn.


	4. An old gaurdian, a new sadness

"Milady, I have told him. Now, all you need to do is chose a time to go," the silver haired maid whispered, giving a slight bow to the ancient Maid in front of her.

"Very good. I will get my horse," her master replied. "As soon as those twins get home, Elrond will be in for a shock."

Elrond carefully changed the bandages on his friend's side. It was true that the whole of Imladris was worried, and word had nearly reached the Golden Wood by now.

Footsteps were coming down the hall.

Two people.

Then the door burst open.

Elrond didn't even look up.

"Hello, you two," he said quietly, weariness evident in his level voice.

"How is he, Adar?" Elrohir said, silently closing the door.

Elrond looked up at his sons and stood, motioning them out to the balcony.

_Uh-oh..._ Elladan thought.

When they were all there, Elrond said something that he had never wanted to, or expected to, even thought about for that matter.

"Glorfindle is dieing," he whispered to his sons. "I myself have hardly the strength to go on healing him, even if I could do anything now."

Elladan and Elrohir stood, stricken dumb at these words.

"But there is the slimmest hope," Elrond said. "If we had another healer with experience as mine, or greater, than we might be able to save him, but we would need this healer within the next week."

"Then we will find one, Ada. We will do anything that we can," Elladan whispered.

"Elladan, how will you find one on such notice?" Elrond said, pulling both of his sons close. "Even I have only slight hope left. Sometimes, people just die. There is not always something you can do."

Elrohir and Elladan leaned into their father's arms. Elrohir was crying and Elladan was trying not to.

"Dan," a voice whispered. "Go ahead and cry."

Someone laid a gentle hand on Elladan's shoulder, and he turned around to see his mother standing there, tears in her eyes as well.

"Go ahead and cry," she whispered again. "We are here for you."

Elladan did just that.

When everything had calmed down considerably, Elrond tried to see if he could wake Glorfindle in order to get him to eat something. It wouldn't change his fate any, but it would relive a little discomfort.

"Glorfindle," he whispered. The ancient elf stirred. "Can you wake up?"

"I assume so," Glorfindle answered, not able to resist a small quip.

Elrond smiled, passing a hand over his dear friend's shoulder. "I need you to eat something, mellon nin."

Glorfindle gave a slight nod, hissing at even this simple movement. Elrond frowned to see his friend in such discomfort. The only other time he had seen any of his friends in a predicament like this was when Maglor himself was wounded.

Glorfindle just wasn't supposed to get wounded.

And he had only a week to live.

Elrond and everybody would just have to make him as comfortable as they could in that short time.

Glorfindle broke the short silence. "Elrond," he said quietly.

"Yes, mellon nin?"

"Am I going to die?"

Elrond sat quietly. He didn't want to tell his friend.

Glorfindel frowned. He knew what that meant. "Elrond, I am trying my best, and don't blame anything on yourself."

A single tear slid down Elrond's cheek. "Don't worry. There is still hope..."

The maiden rode her huge black horse down the paths. Neither made any sound whatsoever, preferring the silence.

The stallion in itself was unadorned, no bridle, saddle, blanket, or harness of any kind, using his master's light taps on his shoulders or nudges on his sides as guidance. The only things that were unique about him were his mammoth sized body and his blood red eyes.

The maiden's black cloak covered her clothing, her hair all inside of her hood, her bright blue eyes her only facial features to show through her hood, as her mouth and nose covered with a black scarf. "Soon, El," she whispered. "Soon."

Elrond had gotten word of a traveling rider that hardly halted, riding nonstop through the forests. The rider was tall in stature and held a bow at his side, a sword he bore as well. His horse was large and black. He would arrive in Imladris at any time.

_Could it be her?_ He thought. _Has she finally come? _

He dismissed the idea, if not completely. She was gone. He knew that already.

He had informed Erestor that if the rider asked to see his lord, to check for the bracelet, and if the rider bore it, then to allow the rider to see him.

Heavy footsteps came slowly down the hall.

Elrond listened.

They stopped at the door.

The knob turned slowly.

Little by little the door opened.

Elrond didn't turn around.

The heavy footsteps came in the room.

Elrond closed his eyes and listened.

The steps stopped right behind him.

A hand slipped onto his shoulder.

Elrond slid his gaze to look at it.

The black gloved fingers were slender and long.

A woman's hand.

Two silver rings she bore.

One on her thumb, one on her middle finger.

But most importantly, a silver bracelet was around her wrist. The blue bead sparkled in the soft light of the fire.

"Hello, El," she whispered. "I've missed you so."

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! I'M GONNA BE EVIL IN THE NEXT CHAPPIE!!! I no I said I would be evil in this one, but hey! NOT A MARY SUE!!!

And dudes, I no that this was short, but it's the best I can do at the moment. MUCH sorrynes. MUCH!!!


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